New emissions troubles emerge at Nissan

Today, Nissan reported misconduct within its final vehicle inspection process to the Japanese Transport Ministry. More specifically, the company had engaged in emissions and fuel economy tests that deviated from the normal testing procedure required by the Japanese government. An investigation into nonconformities in the final inspection progress has been ongoing since Nissan discovered problems during voluntary compliance checks last September.

The latest news comes after revelations that uncertified inspectors had signed off on tests for decades. In fact, workers had been borrowing the “hanko”, or stamps used for signatures in Japan, of certified personnel since 1979, according to a CBS News report of Nissan’s claims. Inspectors also created reports on emissions and fuel economy based on altered measurement values, according to Nissan. The misconduct took place at Nissan’s domestic production plants in Japan, and specifically affects Japanese models.

Nissan’s misconduct affects Japanese models like the Juke and Note, but not U.S.-market models. [Photo: Nissan]

Investigation is ongoing

Nissan said in a recent statement, “Proactive initiatives to prevent recurrence of such issues have led to the discovery of this misconduct, for which the company is regretful.” The company promised to continue its investigation into the issue. The company hasn’t recalled any vehicles as the issue didn’t compromise the safety of the affected models. Inspectors also verified that the numbers were in line with those presented in product catalogs.

Again, the exhaust gas measurement misconduct only affects Japanese-market models, according to Nissan. However, this is the latest in a string of scandals to hit Japanese automakers. Subaru recently admitted its inspectors at Japanese plants tampered with fuel economy data. Two years ago, Mitsubishi also admitted to using improper methods to test fuel economy for 25 years.

Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more emissions news, views and real-world reviews!

Zach is a writer and Managing Editor for TFLcar. He has held a lifelong passion for cars, with a particular interest in hot hatchbacks and off-road rigs. Born and raised in Colorado, Zach holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from Colorado State University, and is based in Boulder, Colorado.